As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

Chapter 219: Juwel’s Other Identity

Dragged by the arm and lectured by Anlan on how to imitate Alexander, Alexander himself was utterly exasperated. Even more irksome was the sneaking suspicion that Anlan had a point—just a slight one.

No, it must be a delusion. Ever since entering this world, Alexander had conducted himself with nothing short of integrity.

Spirits such as the Drowned Ghost, Juwel, the Electrocuted Ghost—all firmly believed he was a good man. He wasn’t exactly a saint, but certainly no bandit or robber either. Well, at least he hoped so.

Just as Alexander found himself wading deeper into his quandary, salvation arrived. "Miss Anlan, there are people in the backyard!" A female ghost, dressed scantily in a bunny-girl costume, burst into the room.

"The backyard? Has my mother sent someone? Who is it?" Anlan queried.

"It’s Lady Seraphina! And right behind her, Captain Jessica!"

The words struck Alexander and Anlan like a thunderbolt.

"It appears you were right, Mr. Edward," Anlan said, her face brimming with gratitude. "If Seraphina herself has come, accompanied by Jessica, the most valued deputy leader, something momentous must be afoot. Let’s go."

Caught in a moment of hesitation, Alexander had little choice but to follow. Jessica, Seraphina—these were the last people he wanted to encounter in this mansion.

Especially Jessica, whom he’d impersonated and whose, well, "assets" he’d assessed. Even worse, he’d been caught in the act by Susannah and Linda. Jessica must loathe him by now, probably even plotting his demise. As for Seraphina, he’d stolen her clothes; a vendetta was most certainly simmering there.

Reentering the banquet hall, Alexander found it completely deserted. Guests, bunny-girls, servers—gone. Only the nine chosen ones remained.

Seraphina, clad in golden armor, swept her eyes over the crowd. When her gaze landed on Alexander, it froze for a moment, followed by a faint sneer.

Jessica, standing beside her, fixed her icy stare on Alexander from the moment he appeared. He even saw her hand move unconsciously towards the hilt of her knife.

It was clear: he was squarely in their crosshairs.

If it weren’t for pressing matters at hand, Alexander surmised that the two women would probably have lunged at him by now.

He glanced at the "Good Will" above their heads. Seraphina’s was at a modest negative 10, but Jessica’s had plummeted to an alarming negative 40. While his status protected him from a direct assault, the possibility of a shadowy ambush on the streets seemed likely.

"Anlan, step forward for your orders!" Seraphina’s eyes finally moved away from Alexander, as she produced a token engraved with mystical symbols.

"Anlan receiving orders," Anlan stepped forward, taking a knee.

"By command of the Lord of the Dark Hell, the heir is yet to be chosen. Now begins the Trial Instance. Eldest son Hurricane, third son HongMu, and Miss Anlan will represent the three major factions in the struggle for succession. The details of the trial are as follows..."

As Seraphina’s voice faded, a series of notifications appeared in Alexander’s consciousness, as well as those of the other chosen ones:

"Respected Participant Alexander, congratulations on initiating the Faction War. As the hidden fifth faction, you will have tasks across the existing three major factions."

"Alice Faction Task: Locate the Abandoned Emperor Stone, destroy it or remove it."

"Louis Faction Task: Lead the chosen ones of your faction, disrupt the faction wars, kill the three heir candidates, and assist Louis in becoming the heir."

"Anlan Faction Task: Defeat or kill Hurricane and HongMu!"

"The mode of faction war: nine base stones and three faction crystals will randomly appear in the courtyard. Faction leaders can appoint three generals to guard the base stones, and a new general can be sent every half-hour."

"If all three of your base stones are captured, your faction crystal becomes vulnerable. Destroying the crystal or killing the faction leader results in the faction’s elimination."

"Before the crystal is destroyed, fatally injured participants will be teleported to their faction crystal and can be healed using ghost energy."

"The last one standing will become the heir to the Dark Hell; their chosen ones are deemed to have passed the trial."

Faced with an unusually lengthy notification, Alexander was momentarily stunned. Was Alice also a time-traveler? The mechanics eerily resembled a popular real-world game. But soon, a grin crept onto his face.

This was an excellent setup.

With general -ghost appearing at time intervals, they might as well have been sending themselves to their deaths. The best part, Alexander was the fifth faction, meaning the chosen ones sided with him. These chosen ones were powerful entities.

This would result in a harvest of numerous general-level remains, perfect for mass-producing "ghost food."

As the eerie instance notifications concluded, Seraphina raised the token high. In an instant, the courtyard underwent a staggering transformation.

At this moment, within an apartment on Happy Street, something seemingly inconsequential was unfolding.

"Juwel, I’ve told you long ago, we’re not on the same level anymore! What right do you have to live with us? Starting today, you no longer have a place in this home," Barbie declared, her face full of haughty disdain, as she turned Juwel away at the door.

Juwel’s face took on a bitter smile as he shook his head. "I knew this day would come. I just didn’t expect it to arrive so soon. Very well, any past favors are now repaid. It’s time for me to revert to being Ares again."

"Young master, you’ve finally come to your senses! I’ve always said this Barbie and her family are extremely selfish; you shouldn’t have stayed here," a hoarse and aged voice suddenly filled the air.

In the room, a cloud of dark mist appeared out of nowhere, revealing an elderly figure, hunched in form, who eagerly knelt on one knee. "Welcome back, young master Ares, to the dark depths of hell!"

"Do you think I’m unaware? I came here to repay a debt of gratitude, but the benefactor is no longer that innocent girl from years past. Now, all kindness is severed, all debts paid!" Juwel—no, it should be Ares—sighed.

The corners of his mouth tipped slightly upward, forming a faint smile. "Very well, it’s time to return."

Suddenly, as if a thought struck him, Ares turned to the old man and spoke, "I’ve never interfered with her affairs, and she’s acted as if I don’t exist.

I had planned to shield her from one last calamity before leaving. Why would she suddenly want to drive me away and also divorce her husband? Odin, with your capabilities, you should know the reason."

"It’s because of that Alexander!" Odin hesitated briefly before speaking. "Alexander met Barbie at Anlan’s party. Barbie probably naively thinks that Alexander likes her, and that’s why she’s rushing to divorce her husband."

"So it’s Doctor Charles," Ares mused with a smile, as if reminiscing. "He’s a good man! We’ve only met twice, but I didn’t expect him to be so kind to me. This is a friendship I’ll cherish."

Odin’s mouth twitched, as though he had a differing opinion, but he chose not to speak. Let the young master think whatever he wishes; the important thing is to restore Ares to his former strength.

In the palm of his hand, a flicker of light danced, and a black token materialized. Engraved on the back were scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of bones. The token levitated in mid-air, and a dark vortex emerged within the room.

...

With a resounding rumble, mountains began to ascend from the depths of the earth, transforming the front courtyard of the City Lord’s mansion into a series of winding, shadowy canyons.

The entire courtyard, anchored by three auxiliary halls, began to expand rapidly. All structures sank, enveloped by the rapidly materializing pitch-black mountain range.

In front of each of the three halls, the earth bulged, forming enormous raised platforms. Atop each, a magnificent throne made of bone materialized out of thin air.

In front of the thrones, three crystals ascended slowly. On Anlan’s side was a purple crystal, on HongMu’s a blue, and from Hurricane’s perspective, a black crystal.

These three crystals, along with the surrounding halls, were enveloped by the dark mountain ranges, the canyons stretching and winding, finally converging at what used to be the central hall of the front courtyard.

Anlan, HongMu, and Hurricane were suddenly yanked by a colossal force, materializing directly upon the bone thrones. Such formidable power!

Alexander marveled inwardly, yet his gaze was fixed on Anlan’s face. He had not forgotten; his objective wasn’t just to eliminate these three, but also to locate the Abandoned Emperor Stone—a stone that could neutralize a Ghost Emperor.

This item was surreptitiously safeguarded by the trio, and given their nuanced sibling relations, it would certainly not be entrusted to any one individual. What Alexander needed to confirm was whether this Abandoned Emperor Stone was indeed in the courtyard.

As expected, Anlan, who was initially thrilled at the activation of the formation, revealed a split-second change in expression upon witnessing the transformation of the courtyard—a shift not missed by the ever-watchful Alexander.

The Abandoned Emperor Stone was undoubtedly in this courtyard; Alexander could even pinpoint its general location.

The reason was simple: such an important object could not be left in the custody of just one among them. Therefore, with 99% certainty, it had to be in the main hall located in the center of the three auxiliary halls.

"Edward... Mr. Alexander!" Anlan spoke to Alexander, "This faction battle rests on your shoulders now."

"Of course," Alexander responded without hesitation. He glanced at the nine chosen individuals nearby, stepped closer to Anlan, and spoke in a lowered voice: "On the honor of my title as Ghost King, you shall be the victor!"

Hearing Alexander stake his own honor—Edward’s honor—Anlan instantly felt at ease. Edward was a man who valued his reputation even more than his life. A Ghost King making such a pledge was tantamount to guaranteed victory.

With a radiant smile, Anlan finally let her guard down. After hesitating for a moment, she reached into her brassiere.The next instant, a small vial filled with a luminous green liquid and still warm to the touch was thrust into Alexander’s hands.

"Although I am the weakest among my siblings, I have some tricks up my sleeve. Take this. Whatever it takes to help me win this faction battle, you have my full cooperation," she declared.

With a coquettish smile, Anlan traced her fingertips along Alexander’s palm and whispered, "Once you’ve accomplished the mission, Edward, I’ll make sure my sisters and I celebrate your victory. Then, you’ll have complete command over us..."

"Much obliged, Miss Anlan," Edward replied, receiving the green vial. He looked at its attributes and his smile brightened even further.

True Love Corpse Oil

Description: A tragic love anthem. True love transcends life and death. When the oil lamp filled with corpse oil is lit, the handsome face of a man would appear before a woman’s eyes, now belonging to her alone.

Effects: Oil made from a man’s corpse, filled with extreme resentment. A mere drop can turn a Ghost General into pus. Even a Ghost Prince would be severely weakened. Current usable count 3/3.

What a marvelous item! Truly a product of the City Lord’s mansion!

Stowing away the green vial, Alexander locked eyes with Anlan and declared loudly with unwavering conviction, "Rest assured, Miss Anlan, I shall spare no effort to secure victory for our faction!"

His proclamation was so loud that even the chosen ones heard his vow. Anlan, now more confident, replied with a satisfied smile, "Then I look forward to your triumphant news, sir."

Leading the nine chosen ones, Alexander strode decisively towards the canyon passage. Such was the ingenuity of the empress that what appeared to be a simple front courtyard with a main hall and three side halls had taken them nearly fifteen minutes to traverse before encountering the first faction keystone.

It was a massive pentagram outlined in blue lines, and at its center stood a brute-armed ghost.

As they passed by, the hulking ghost general glared menacingly at Alexander and hissed, "bug, since you’re now part of Miss Anlan’s faction, I’ll overlook our previous issues. But don’t think your background will let you do as you please.

This is a world of horror, where only the strong are safeguarded. You better stay put at the first keystone and assist in its defense, awaiting Miss Anlan’s help. If you dare to act recklessly, I’ll personally grind you into mincemeat once this instance is over."

Flexing his brawny arms provocatively, the ghost general waved them in front of Alexander.

"Damn, who does this bastard think he is? Just a ghost general! I should wipe him out right now!" One of the chosen ones, obviously indignant and eager to challenge the general, stepped forward as if ready to duel.

"Stay alert," Alexander cautioned, shaking his head. "Anyone Anlan assigns to the last keystone must be more formidable than your average ghost general. This is not the time for conflicts. Let’s move forward to rendezvous." With that, Alexander led the group onward.

Soon, the ten of them arrived at the grand hall and spotted six people emerging from the passage where Prince HongMu was located. "Mr. Alexander, we finally found you!"

Two chosen ones rushed forward, bitterly complaining about their ordeal. HongMu, true to his reputation for brutality, had ruthlessly killed three of their top-tier chosen companions.

"Boss!" After pulling everyone into his faction, one of the chosen ones glanced at their mission and exclaimed excitedly, "Let’s take action and kill that bastard HongMu!"

"Hold on," Alexander gestured, "Did any of you see a metallic mechanical heart where you were with HongMu?"

"No," came the reply. "HongMu is of a mechanical ghostly origin, and his followers are mostly mechanical ghosts as well. We saw plenty of puppet dolls, but nothing like the mechanical heart you mentioned."

"Let’s wait for Mebana and the others. We’ll start with Hurricane, who has a penchant for men. But before that..." Alexander glanced at the Voodoo doll in his inventory and cracked a knowing smile.

......................

#####To express my gratitude for all of your support, I’m offering everyone a small gift. Here’s a redeemable code that can give you 10 FP. Note that the code can only be used 10 times in total.####ABDHYXFNEG5NGXB3B